Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Little Cheeseballs

I live with some goofy little characters. Grandma Knight asked to see some new pictures of my little cheeseballs, so here they are as they look regularly on our morning walk. Their poofy coats make the fit in the stroller a little tight, but they are still smiling.

Todd mentioned that he had watched an old home video of Jared around 18 months old putting a pot on his head, so Jared decided to reenact that cute moment from his babyhood. And what is good for Jared is good for Eloise, right?

On Sunday, Jared was looking for some essential part of his clothing, and he couldn't find it. Ever dramatic, he informed me that it "Cannot be found anywhere."
Me: Well, did you look downstairs?
Jared: It mustn't be down there.
Me: Oh, mustn't it? Did you look?
Mustn't?

On Monday, Eloise asked Jared if she could have something that he was finished with.
Jared: You CAN have it, Eloise.
Eloise: Do you mean I MAY have it?
Jared: Yes. You're welcome.

On Tuesday, Jared was helping clear the table after dinner. I gave him half a gallon of milk to return to the refrigerator.
Jared: InDEED this is heavy!
Me: Did you say, "Oh GEE this is heavy"?
Jared: No. I said, "InDEED! Indeed! Indeed it is heavy."

I don't know where they come up with this stuff. These are not the sort of conversations I would expect to be having with my four and two year old.
Speaking of our two year old, here is a precious and rare moment of stillness from the princess.

Jared now sleeps through the night most nights without needing a bathroom break, so he has returned to footie pajamas. They are so adorable on him that I am now regretting all of the cute time lost to two piece pjs.

Let us not overlook the rest of the cheeseballs in this family. Here are the other two at the library today. Todd has a final week of paternity leave to take this week before B turns one next week.

B was looking at Jared and Eloise sitting on a wolf statue making funny faces.

B is getting more and more verbal. His word count is limited, but his communication skills are improving. He has now said "Mama" and "Shadow" (Dah-oh!). He plays with Shadow a lot. I know Shadow is a good dog, because, in spite of her wilder moments, when B crawls on her, she lies perfectly still. If he inadvertently pinches or hurts her, she shifts out of his way without even giving him a look. This evening I prompted B to say "Shadow," and, for a few minutes I thought he wasn't listening to me. Then I realized that he was doing an almost perfect imitation of the growling, whining sound Shadow had just been making as she squirmed around on the floor trying to catch her own tail.

B keeps me on my toes. I left him in the hall for about three minutes while I helped Eloise with something in her room, across from the bathroom. I heard the soap fall into the sink, and turned around to find this:

So now he climbs. We have to strap him into his high chair, or else he stands up and starts to put his legs over the side. Jared and Eloise climb in and out of their own chairs, so why not B?
B can't be left alone at the bottom of the stairs or the top, because stairs reel him in like gravity, which he unfortunately has not discovered yet.
He did discover how to clap his hands today. Brace yourselves for some squeezable baby adorableness.

You don't have to tell me to enjoy every moment of this. I alternate between exhilaration in these precious moments, and heartbreak that this phase cannot go on forever. It would not be so precious if it were not so fleeting.